1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus such as ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a maintenance method of the same, and more particularly to a technique suitable to remote maintenance from a remote computer connected to a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus via a communication line.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, it has been well known that an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is equipped with a general function concerning ultrasonic image diagnosis which is an object of such apparatus and a service/maintenance function for changing system settings, performing system diagnosis, and changing (upgrading or the like) computer software such as control programs incorporated in the apparatus to its latest version.
Such service/maintenance function is generally incorporated in a main frame of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Thus, the service/maintenance work is generally performed by operators such as service personnel directly operating the main frame of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. In this case, it has been required for service personnel to visit hospital or the like in which the apparatus is installed when service/maintenance work is performed by using the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with the service/maintenance function. Therefor, a work time required for service/maintenance work is completed by service personnel is increased by a time required for movement to facility. This time corresponds to a down time caused by a fault of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus from the viewpoint of an operator who operates the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Thus, as this time is increased, a time in which the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus cannot be used is increased as in the case of a fault. That is, there is a high possibility that an increased time of service/maintenance work causes a problem with medical activities such as medical diagnosis using the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
In the case where the computer software incorporated in the apparatus is changed in the service/maintenance work for the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, it is required to do a work of distributing or managing a recording medium having such change recorded therein. However, the distribution or management of such recording medium is generally complicate and cumbersome, and is time consuming, thus causing incorrect operation of service personnel.
Further, there has been a problem that acquisition or management of information concerning contents of service/maintenance work for the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is generally complicate and cumbersome, and is time consuming as well.
Furthermore, in view of an aspect of maintenance of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, data concerning the use state of each apparatus or maintenance is recorded and stored, and the data is referred to or analyzed whenever or wherever necessary, thereby making it possible to significantly improve efficiency of the service/maintenance work. In particular, if the data on the use state of each apparatus can be analyzed in association with operator or patient data, such analysis is expected to be very useful in hospital management as well as in efficient maintenance work. However, it is currently difficult to perform service maintenance capable of analyzing the use state of such each apparatus.
In recent years, other medical imaging diagnostic apparatuses as well as the above ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus are equipped with computer network related functions with the advancement of linkage with general-purpose computer technology.
As such computer network related functions, there are known: for example, a function for enabling remote service from a remote computer connected via a communication line; a function for providing access patient data on a database of a local network; or a function concerning remote diagnosis. Using these functions enables for example service works such as fault diagnosis, maintenance, and software version management for a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus from a remote computer, or remote diagnosis by remote doctors, or intensive management of patient image data. In this manner, it is expected that efficiency of image diagnosis which is an object of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is improved more remarkably.
However, in a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, apart from convenience obtained by such computer network related functions, the following problems arise. That is, in this medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, a concept of security management is not adopted because the operator""s privilege is limited. In other words, this diagnostic apparatus does not consider, in particular, a so called concept of xe2x80x9cloginxe2x80x9d for recognizing the operator during apparatus startup. Thus, if such medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is equipped with computer network related functions, maloperation or malfunction caused by the operator""s unintentional data change or the like or activities of interpolation caused by an malicious third person is likely to occur. In this manner, there is a concern for security problems such as occurrence of apparatus maloperation or malfunction or finding weak points of patient information security.
For example, in the above medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, there is a possibility that an apparatus environment setting file is erased or rewritten by the operator""s incorrect operation; the apparatus cannot be restarted; or apparatus maloperation which is hardly judged to be abnormal clearly. In addition, in this medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, there is apprehension that diagnosis image data on patients in intensive care, patient name or private patient data, electrical medical chart information on patients are used in an malicious manner; a third person who spoofs an examination personnel, an apparatus service personnel, or a doctor makes illegal copy (steal), interpolation, and erasing.
In order to overcome the above described security problems, it is required to construct and manage a system for restricting privilege relevant to functions requiring security, and preventing spoofing for such privileged persons. However, such security management requires special knowledge. Thus, it is considered that educating and training detailed operation for all operators lose convenience of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, lowers efficiency of diagnostic activities on which doctors should be concentrated, or patient service is lowered. Because of this, it is expected that there occur problems such as an increased diagnostic cost or an increased cost of a medical system.
In the recent medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, available functions are prone to be diversified and complicated. Thus, a function for customizing operating environment for each operator is indispensable so that frequently used functions can be easily used. In addition to this, as described above, in recent years, a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is connected to a network, image information or patient information and any other information required for diagnosis or apparatus setup are often acquired or provided via this network. Furthermore, there are increased opportunities that general operator who is not familiar with setup unlike service personnel performs high-level apparatus setup because of enhancement of peripheral devices and other reason.
However, in the case where a general operator operates all of the above described functions, the following problems occur. For example, operation under the operating environment set by another operator can be easily performed, and thus, such environment can be easily changed by an operator other than an operator using such operating environment. In addition, the use privilege given to an operator relevant to functions is insufficient merely by providing two levels for service personnel or general operators. For example, it is currently difficult to set an administrator level and a user level relevant to a general operator. Therefore, in the worst case, it is expected that a serious failure which causes a problem with apparatus startup will occur.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing circumstances. It is a first object of the present invention to reduce a time required for service/maintenance and a down time of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus such as ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
It is a second object of the present invention to limit a privilege relevant to specific functions such as remote diagnosis of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus such as ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, patient data management or remote service function, and preventing spoofing, thereby eliminating a possibility that apparatus malfunction occurs or an apprehension that patient privacy is infringed, and to enhance convenience of such specific functions more remarkably.
It is a third object of the present invention to restrict a privilege by person or organization relevant to specific functions such as ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or specific functions such as patient data management or remote service function and identify a person or organization registered in advance to an operator or a person connected from a remote site, thereby making it possible to easily set these restrictions without any special knowledge, safely utilize the convenience caused by network functions or the like, and provide highly satisfied medical activities to a patient while reducing medical cost.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to record and store data concerning the use state of each apparatus or maintenance in maintenance of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus such as ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as required so that the data can be analyzed.
In order to achieve the above objects, a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus and maintenance method of the same according to the present invention has the following aspects.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus such as ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a service system (a maintenance system) are connected with each other via a network to make communication, whereby required data is transmitted and received, and service/maintenance work is achieved under remote control. This makes it possible to achieve the foregoing object, and significantly reduce a time required for service/maintenance and a down time of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus. In addition, there is provided an effect that a release time during software upgrading can be reduced, and the corresponding error does not occur.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, a database is provided over a network, thereby maintaining and managing information such as software upgrade data, system diagnosis data, and service/maintenance work update history data. In this manner, information on the service/maintenance work scope can be integrally managed.
The information obtained by system diagnosis can include: operation state of each internal unit of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (for example, unit A: Diagnosis result, Normal, unit B: Error, and unit C: Error with block C in the unit); probe characteristics (for example, lowered 56-th element sensitivity of a total of 192 elements, 60 [dB] or more, entire element sensitivity, or xe2x88x922 [dB] or more as compared with a probe just purchased); a use time of application used in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (for example, application A, use time, 5 hours, and application B, 2 hours or the like). Based on these items of information, there can be provided service for preventing the apparatus from being degraded in characteristics, and maintaining its performance.
For example, faults/abnormalities are sensed earlier by units, part and unit replacement or the like is performed, whereby its performance can be maintained, making it possible to take velocity judgment or response to the operation state of each apparatus. In addition, if a failure is not so serious that the apparatus is not activated immediately, it is possible to display a warning message on the apparatus for an operator, to dispatch service personnel immediately, to notify a faulty unit in advance to service personnel, and to notify service personnel so as to make replacement on the spot if required. In addition, the degraded performance of an ultrasonic probe causes the degraded performance of the entire ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Since such ultrasonic probe is disposable, proper replacement is made by grasping the degree of characteristic degradation, making it possible to maintain its performance. For example, in the case where a faulty element in the ultrasonic probe is found, it is regarded as a fault. In this case, the user can arrange service personnel to replace such faulty element with a replacement element. In the case where the entire characteristics are degraded, such probe can be replaced. In addition, it is possible to recycle a used item as required.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided functions required for repair, fault diagnosis, periodic inspection or the like, for example, control of apparatus operation which is different from general diagnosis, storing the internal state of the apparatus, or acquisition of information or data obtained. This apparatus is restricted to only account having its privilege in which access permission of programs and data required for initiating these functions is different from an account for logging in the apparatus in a general examination state; and an account having the administrator""s privilege.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus connected to a network with wire or wirelessly. This apparatus has functions or the like used for any other purpose than diagnosis such as repair, fault diagnosis, periodic inspection, for example, functions for providing access via a network connected with wire or wirelessly, thereby controlling an operation of the apparatus, storing into the apparatus the internal state of the apparatus, and acquiring information/data obtained. This apparatus comprises means for automatically setting access privileges of these functions in accordance with predetermined procedures. The means can include startup switch means, pointer means, voice startup selection means or the like.
According to the fourth aspect, there can be provided a configuration in which, of the functions of the apparatus relevant to an account capable of accessing the foregoing functions, the individual settings of startup enable or disable are provided in the apparatus or over only a network to which the apparatus belongs with respect to a function for providing access to the hospital internal information or patient information in the apparatus and in a network to which the apparatus belongs.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus connected to a network, comprising functions for providing access any other purpose than diagnosis such as apparatus repair, fault diagnosis, or periodic inspection; controlling an operation of the apparatus, and/or storing the internal state or the like of the apparatus in the apparatus, and/or acquiring information/data obtained, a pointer for automatically enabling/disabling these functions in accordance with predetermined procedures; or a switch containing startup selection by voice.
According to the above fourth and fifth aspects, one of the following configurations is possible.
1) It is possible to provide means for automatically changing an account password for making connection to a network to which the apparatus belongs during apparatus startup. In this case, a password after changed is transmitted as a message containing E-mail over the same or different network specified in advance. This transmission can be performed in a file that exists on the apparatus.
2) It is possible to provide means for detecting and recording access caused by an illegal password or account. In this case, it is desirable to record an access destination.
3) A password can be encoded.
4) Data on password can be transmitted divided in plurality. In this case, if illegal access reaches a predetermined count, a function is stopped, and such count can be transmitted as a message containing the corresponding file or mail over the same or different network or over the apparatus.
5) A password in accordance with a security card system can be used. This system is intended to issue one or plural characters and/or numerals changed in a predetermined logic with an elapse of time and to issue the same to the apparatus side in the same logic.
6) User recognition means using electrical authentication can be provided.
7) User recognition means for supervising an IP address of TCP/IP can be provided.
8) User recognition means for supervising physiological characteristics of individuals registered in advance can be provided. In this case, the physiological characteristics include fingerprint, iris pattern, voiceprint, and facial characteristics, for example.
9) In the case where operation is not performed for a predetermined period of time, it is possible to provide means for automatically invalidating an access privilege or release a initiated function.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for automatically performing password authentication or electrical authentication which changes with an elapse of time in order to correctly recognize the apparatus when the apparatus voluntarily communicates with a service center or the like for the purpose of a service function.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, operator specific login is performed by using at least one of an operator code and password, and operation in the operator specific setting environment caused by the operator logged in is permitted.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, operator registration is performed, two or more levels are determined by the operator, and available functions are limited according to such level.
The present invention is based on each of the above described aspects, and is constructed in the following mode.
A maintenance method of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is directed to a method of maintaining a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus by a remote computer connected via a communication line, the method comprising the steps of: generating log data concerning a use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus; transmitting the generated log data to the remote computer via the communication line; storing the transmitted log data as data configuring a predetermined database on the remote computer; and analyzing the use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus so that the use state can be displayed based on log data stored as data configuring the database.
In the present invention, the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is directed to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe, wherein the analysis result of the use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus can include at least one of the number of patients diagnosed within a predetermined period of time by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, each use time of ultrasonic diagnostic Doppler mode, B mode, M mode, CFM (Color Flow Mapping) mode, Angiographic mode, TDI (Tissue Doppler Imaging) mode, THI (Tissue Harmonic Imaging) mode, and measurement mode used by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, ultrasonic image freeze count displayed by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic image recording count, and a rate of the recording count to the freeze count.
In the present invention, the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is directed to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe, wherein data configuring the database is at least one of degradation information on the ultrasonic probe; information on date and time when a measurement value obtained by an acceleration sensor provided at the ultrasonic probe exceeds a predetermined value and information on the count when the measurement value obtained by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value.
In the present invention, the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is directed to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe, wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can comprise: a probe holder for holding the ultrasonic probe; a phantom consisting of a standard test body for phantom testing equipped in the probe holder; mean for obtaining an ultrasonic image of the phantom by the ultrasonic probe held in the probe holder; and means for transmitting the ultrasonic image of the phantom being data for obtaining degradation information on the ultrasonic probe to the remote computer.
A maintenance method of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention comprises the steps of: generating log data concerning a use state of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus; recording the thus generated log data on a predetermined recording medium; and analyzing the use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus so that the use state can be displayed based on the log data on the recording medium.
A medical imaging diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: log generating means for generating log data concerning a use state of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus; log recording means for recording the log data generated by the log generating means on a predetermined medium; and analysis means for analyzing the use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus so that the use state can be displayed based on the log data recorded on the recording medium by the log recording means.
A medical imaging diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: input means configured so as to enable maintenance by means of a remote computer connected via a communication line, the input means being provided at the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, the input means being adopted to input information concerning a system user; operating means provided at the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, operating means being adopted to instruct change to a predetermined system maintenance mode; transmission means for, when a change to the system maintenance mode is instructed by the operating means, transmitting information concerning the system user inputted by the input means and date and time information to the remote computer; and means for switching a current state into a state for enabling at least one of system diagnosis of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, system setting change thereof, and control program change based on a signal transmitted from the remote computer via the communication line in response to the information transmitted by the transmission means.
A maintenance method of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is directed to a method of maintaining a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus by means of a remote computer connected via a communication line, the method comprising the steps of: inputting information concerning a system user to the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus; instructing switching into a system maintenance mode for enabling at least one of system diagnosis of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, system setting change, and control program change based on a signal transmitted from the remote computer by operating the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus; when switching into the system maintenance mode is instructed, transmitting to the remote computer via the communication line, information concerning the system user and date and time information; and storing the thus transmitted information concerning the system user and date and time information on a predetermined recording medium on the remote computer.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentality and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.